Switch-operating mechanism.



, arm of the lever b.

I GEORGE F. MOONEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application filed May 29, 1907- Serial No. 376,381-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. MOONEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Switch- Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. I

One object of my invention is to provide means primarily designed to be actuated by a lever or other structure carried by a car, whereby a track switch shall be shifted from one to the other of its two positions; it being particularly desired that the mechanism involved shall be relatively simple in construction and inexpensive to install and maintain.

A further object is to provide track switch operating mechanism whose various parts shall be substantially balanced so that but little effort is required to operate it in order to throw the switch point.

It is also desired that the switch operating mechanism shall be of such a nature and so placed relatively to the tracks that one or other of its operating members shall always be available for use to throw the switch point;that is to say the various parts of my device are so connected that when one of the operating members is down and therefore incapable of operation, the other is up and ready to be operated. I

These objects I attain as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in'

which:

Figure 1 is a plan, partly in horizontal section, illustrating my invention, as applied to a switch of the ordinary construction; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3, Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 44, Fig. 2.

In the above drawings, A represents the ties upon which are supported the rails B adjacent to a switch; one member of the switch being indicated at B and the other at B The switch member B is provided with a tongue or point b, to the end of which farthest from its pivot is connected one end of a lever b iulcrumed toa bracket b bolted to a portion of the switch structure.

On one side of each of the rails B are a number of bearings b and in these bearings, are mounted two horizontally extending rocker shafts O and G. The rocker shaft 0 is prolonged as indicated in Figs. 1 and 4, and has fixed to it a downwardly extending arm 0 whose outer end is connected by a link a to the second In addition, there are fixed to each of said shafts a number of arms 0 which project, in the present instance, in substantially horizontal lines.

Just inside of each of the rails B is a pair of structural sections D and D, mounted at a short distance from each other so that their adjacent flanges are spaced apart to form slots cZ extending parallel with the general line of the tracks or rails B. These structural sections, as well'as the rocker shafts G and C may be of any desired length, and each pair of said sections has between it avertically movable bar E pivotallymounted upon the various arms 0 which extend through suitable slots in the structural sections D.

In addition to the downwardly extending arms 0 to which the link 0 is connected, there are a number of other downwardly extending arms 0 for each of the shafts O and C; said arms being placed opposite each other on said shafts and respectively connected by transversely extending links orbars 0 These, like the arms 0 extend through slots in the structural sections D and D. I

In assembling the various parts, the arms a are so fixed to their respective shafts that those on the shaft 0 for example are inclined upwardly to a certain extent and thereby support their bar E at the top or upper portion of the space between the structural sections D and D. The arms 0 as well as the other set of arms 0 are then so set that the latter will project in a horizontal line, or, in any event, in such a direction as will permit the second one of the bars E being in its lower position between its sections D and D. With the parts in these positions the arm 0, which is connected to the switch point I), is so adjusted that said point will be in one of its extreme positions.

It will be understood that each car is equipped with two levers or bars supported in the vertical planes of the two slots d respectively and capable of being depressed at will so as to enter said slots.

If, new, it is desired that a car moving on the tracks B in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, shall continue in the line of said tracks, it is necessary to move the switch point I) from the position illustrated to the other of its extreme positions, and this is accomplished by depressing that one of the levers which is on the side adjacent to the rocker shaft 0 thereby depressing the bar E from the position indicated on the right hand side of Fig. 2. As a result, both shafts C and C are rocked in their bearings and the link 0 is moved longitudinally so as to turn the lever b on its fulcrum, thereby throw ing the switch point I) to its other position. Such operation moreover results in the elevating or raising of the second'oi the bars E, and when it is again desired to throw the switch, one of the levers or rods carried by the car is lowered so as to depress this second operating bar. In any case, it will be seen that the parts are so arranged that the two bars E and their attached arms substantially balance each other; it being obvious that the mechanism as a whole may therefore be operated with the expenditure of but little power. Moreover, it will be noted that the various parts are simple and inexpensive in construction and so mounted that they can be installed with but relatively little cost.

I claim:

1. The combination of a switch point to be operated, two substantially parallel rock shafts connected to each other, arms on said rock shafts, of which one is connected to the switch point, and two longitudinally extending members respectively mounted upon others of the arms on the rock shafts for cooperation with operating levers on a car, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a switch point to be operated, two substantially parallel rock shafts, a lever connected to the switch point, arms on the rock shafts of which an arm on one shaft is connected to said lever, bars connecting certain arms of one shaft with certain of the arms on the other shaft, with a longitudinally extending operating bar for each shaft mounted on others of the arms thereof, substantially as described.

The combination with a pair of rails, of a switch hav ing a movable point, a pair of rock shafts respectively supported by the rails, a plurality of arms on each rock shaft, of which an arm on one shaft is connected to the switch point, links respectively connecting certain of said arms, and a longitudinally extending member for each shaft connected to others of the arms thereon, said various parts being adjusted so that the longitudinally extending members substantially balance each other, substantially as described.

4-. The combination of a pair of track rails, a switch having a movable point, rock shafts for the rails having bearings respectively supporting them along side of and adjacent to the same, a series of downwardly extending arms on each rock shaft, links respectively connecting, the arms of one shaft to those of the other, a lever for the switch point, an arm on one of the shafts connected to said lever, a second series of arms on each of: the rock shafts, of which the arms of one, shaft project towards those of the other, with a vertically movable member loosely mounted on said latter arms of each rock shaft, the parts being so adjusted that one of the said members is in an elevated position while the other is in its lower position and the switch point is in one of its extreme positions, substantially as described.

The combination of a pair of rails, a switch having a movable tongue, a pair of structural sections mounted inside of each rail and having their flanges spaced apart to form a slot, a longitudinally extending lnember vertically movable between each pair of said structural sections, a longitudinally extending rock shalt mounted on each of: the rails, arms fixed to said shafts and connected to the adjacent longitudinally extending member, a second series of arms on each rock shaft, links respectively conmeeting said second series of arms of ,one of the rock shafts with those of the other, and means for connecting one of the rock shafts to the, switch point so that said point will be thrown from one of its positions to the other when the longitudinally extending members are vertically moved, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEO. F. MOONEY.

Witnesses HORACE N. YONKER, WILLIAM Wnrennr, 3rd. 

